The 12 Days of Christmas: Math Edition
Can you believe we are only days away from Christmas? As you and your family prepare for the
holidays, here are some fun activities to keep your math superstars learning during winter
break, in between cups of hot cocoa and bites of Christmas cookies! In the spirit of the "12 Days
of Christmas" carol, we have 12 fun math activities to try for the month of December! For this
first installment, we'll highlight six activities. Let's get started!
1. Measure Your Christmas Tree
Whether your family prefers a tiny Charlie Brown tree or the tallest tree you can find, measuring
your Christmas tree is a fun and easy way to put your math skills to the test. All you need is
measuring tape. If your tree is tall and requires use of a ladder to reach the top, make sure to
have parental supervision. To start, measure from the top of your ceiling to the floor. To make
sure your tree has enough space once decorated, a good rule of thumb is to leave at least 6
inches of space between your tree and the top of your ceiling. So, once you measure ceiling to
floor, subtract the result by 6. For example, if you have 9 foot ceilings, subtracting 6 inches
would equal 8 and ½ feet, since 12 inches equals 1 foot. In this example, the maximum height
for your tree to fit would be 8 and ½ feet.
2. Craft Paper Snowflakes
Create your own winter wonderland indoors by making your own paper snowflakes. An easy
activity for all ages, this activity is a quick lesson in multiplication and patterns. The only
supplies you need are tissue paper or construction paper and scissors. To make your
snowflakes:
â— Cut your tissue paper into squares
â— Fold your tissue paper squares diagonally to make a triangle shape. You can then fold
as many times as you like, or simply fold into thirds to make a traditional six-sided
snowflake
â— Cut patterns into the sides of your triangle & unfold when done to admire your creation
3. Calculate Christmas Costs
Each Christmas holiday, PNC Bank puts together an annual list of the cost of each item
mentioned in the classic Christmas carol, "The 12 Days of Christmas". Named the "PNC
Christmas Price Index", this is a great lesson on money and how outside factors (such as the
Covid pandemic) impacts how much we pay for things. For example, the "Three French Hens"
cost $255.00 this year, a 40% increase from their price in 2019!
4. Wrap the Perfect Gift
Shopping for gifts is fun, but wrapping gifts can be a challenge. If you want to step up from
#TeamGiftBag to #TeamGiftWrap, you can use your math skills to learn to wrap gifts like a
professional. Note: This technique works best for square or rectangular-shaped gifts.
Grab a ruler and measure the height of the package. Next, measure the gift diagonally. Cut your
wrapping paper into the shape of a square or rectangle that equals the diagonal measurements.
Take the height result and add 1.5. The equation can be expressed as d+1.5h. Next, place your
gift diagonally in your square. Voila! Bring the corners of your paper together around your
package and finish wrapping.
5. Design a Gingerbread House
If you're looking for an educational and edible holiday math activity, try building a gingerbread
house. All you need are a few packs of your favorite graham cracker flavors or if you have the
time, you can make your own gingerbread cookies. Grab some glue and some of your favorite
candy for decoration and your imagination. This activity is a great review of shapes and angles
and practicing measurements
6. Track Santa's Route
Did you know the North American Aerospace Defense command, known as NORAD, tracks
Santa on his journey to deliver smiles and gifts around the world every December 24th? And it's
headquartered right in Colorado Springs, Colorado! If you've ever wanted to know fun facts
about Santa's sleigh (it's length is 75 candy canes by 150 lollipops) or the cool technology
NORAD uses to track Santa, check out their website, www.noradsanta.org.
Stay tuned for a Part ll with 6 more activities to round out our 12 days of Christmas: The Math
Edition. If your child is falling behind and needs help to catch up for the new year, our
Mathnasium center is here to serve you! We provide specialized math instruction to students in
grades 2 through 12. Our expert math instructors provide one-on-one instruction that will leave
your child excited about math. Your child can receive instruction in-center or live online
instruction through our Mathnasium@Home option. Give us a call today or reach out to us
online to schedule your child's free no-risk math assessment and become a part of our
Mathnasium family!
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